Welcome to the online identification guide for three cent United States postage stamps.

Purpose of this web page: The purpose of this web page is to help you identify the Scott number for three cent United States postage stamps.

How to contribute: Feedback about this page is welcomed and should be e-mailed to info@vfthomas.com or sent by traditional mail to U.S. Postage Stamp Identifier, c/o V. F. Thomas Co.; P. O. Box 400; Southwest Harbor, ME 04679.

Washington designs A10, A21, and A21a These designs are so similar that only one example is pictured here.

Based on the images and descriptions from the Scott Specialized Catalogue below, determine which type your stamp is. Then turn to the table at the right.     Type I - "There is an outer frame line on all four sides. The outer frame lines at the sides are always recut, but the inner lines at the sides are not recut." [design A10]     Type II - "[T]he inner lines at the sides also recut." [design A10]     Type III - "There are no outer frame lines at top and bottom. The side frame lines were recut so as to be continuous from the top to the bottom of the plate. Stamps from the top or bottom rows show the ends of the side frame lines and may be mistaken for type IV." [design A21]    [image to be obtained] Type IV - "As type III, but the side frame lines extend only to the top and bottom of the stamp design." [design A21a]

perf. 151/2 type I - Your stamp is Scott #25 type II - Your stamp is Scott #25A type III - Your stamp is Scott #26 type IV - Your stamp is Scott #26A perf. 12 - Your stamp is Scott #41 imperf. type I orange-brown - Your stamp is Scott #10 dull red - Your stamp is Scott #11 type II orange-brown - Your stamp is Scott #10A dull red - Your stamp is Scott #11A

Washington design A25

without grill pink - Your stamp is Scott #64 rose - Your stamp is Scott #65 brown-red - Your stamp is Scott #104 [rare, 465 sold] with grill grill covering entire stamp (= grill A); rose - Your stamp is Scott #82 [rare, 4 known] grill about 18 x 15 mm, 22 x 18 points (= grill B); rose - Your stamp is Scott #82 grill about 13 x 16 mm, 16–17 x 18–21 points (= grill C); rose - Your stamp is Scott #83 grill about 12 x 14 mm, 15 x 17–18 points (= grill D); rose - Your stamp is Scott #85 grill about 11 x 13 mm, 14–15 x 17 points (= grill E); rose - Your stamp is Scott #88 grill about 9 x 13 mm, 11–12 x 15–17 points (= grill F); red - Your stamp is Scott #94 grill about 11 x 14 mm, 13–14 x 18 points (= grill Z); rose - Your stamp is Scott #85C

locomotive design A36

with grill about 9.5 x 9 mm, 12 x 11–11.5 points (= grill G); ultramarine; hard, wove paper - Your stamp is Scott #114 without grill; blue; hard, white paper with white, crackly gum - Your stamp is Scott #125

Washington designs A46, A46a, and A46b These designs are so similar that only one example is pictured here.

Based on the images and descriptions from the Scott Specialized Catalogue below, determine which design your stamp is. Then turn to the table at the right. design A46 (feature 1)        no heavy shading on underside of ribbon at lower left portion of design design A46 (feature 2)        no short, horizontal mark at lower right of design design A46a        heavy shading on underside of ribbon design A46b        short, horizontal mark at lower right of design, on sixth row of background lines from the bottom

design A46 with grill; green - Your stamp is Scott #136 without grill; green - Your stamp is Scott #147 design A46a white, wove paper, thin to thick; green - Your stamp is Scott #158 hard, white wove paper; without gum; blue-green - Your stamp is Scott #169 [rare] soft, porous paper; green - Your stamp is Scott #184 soft, porous paper; without gum; blue-green - Your stamp is Scott #194 [rare, 267 sold] design A46b blue-green - Your stamp is Scott #207 vermilion - Your stamp is Scott #214

Andrew Jackson design A62

Your stamp is Scott #221

[image to be acquired] Santa Maria design A73

perf. 12 - Your stamp is Scott #232 perf. 101/2 - Your stamp is Scott #2625b

Andrew Jackson design A89

unwatermarked - Your stamp is Scott #253 double-line watermark - Your stamp is Scott #268

Andrew Jackson design A117

Your stamp is Scott #302

[image to be acquired] Louisiana Purchase Exposition Issue Commemorative Series of 1904 Monroe (1758–1831) design A132

Your stamp is Scott #325

Washington design A140

Based on the images and descriptions from the Scott Specialized Catalogue below, determine which type your stamp is. Then turn to the table at the right.     Type I - "The top line of the toga rope is weak and the rope shading lines are thin. The 5rh line from the left is missing. The line between the lips is thin."     Type II - "The top line of the toga rope is strong and the rope shading lines are heavy and complete. The line between the lips is heavy."     Type III - "The top line of the toga rope is strong but the 5th shading line is missing as in type I. Center shading line of the toga button consists of two dashes with a central dot. The 'P' and 'O' of 'POSTAGE' are separated by a line of color. The frame line at the bottom of the vignette is complete."     Type IV - "The shading lines of the toga rope are complete. The second and fourth shading lines in the toga button are broken in the middle and the third line is continuous with a dot in the center. The 'P' and 'O' of 'POSTAGE' are joined. The frame line at the bottom of the vignette is broken."

perf. 12 [all type I, flat plate, and deep violet] double-line watermark white paper - Your stamp is Scott #333 bluish paper - Your stamp is Scott #359 [rare] single-line watermark - Your stamp is Scott #376 perf. 12 vert. - Your stamp is Scott #389 [type I; flat plate; deep violet; rare] perf. 11 [all unwatermarked] type I - Your stamp is Scott #501 [light violet; flat plate] type II - Your stamp is Scott #502 [dark violet; flat plate] type III - Your stamp is Scott #529 [violet; offset] type IV - Your stamp is Scott #530 [purple; offset] perf. 11 x 10 - Your stamp is Scott #541 [type II; rotary press (design 19.5–20 x 22–22.25 mm); violet; unwatermarked] perf. 10 [both type I and flat plate] single-line watermark - Your stamp is Scott #426 [deep violet] unwatermarked - Your stamp is Scott #464 [violet] perf. 10 vert. [all violet] single-line watermark [both type I] flat plate (design 18.5–19 x 22 mm) - Your stamp is Scott #445 rotary press (design 19.5–20 x 22 mm) - Your stamp is Scott #456 unwatermarked [both rotary press (design 19.5–20 x 22 mm)] type I - Your stamp is Scott #493 type II - Your stamp is Scott #494 perf. 10 hor. - Your stamp is Scott #489 [type I; rotary press (design 18.5–19 x 22.5); violet; unwatermarked] perf. 81/2 vert. - Your stamp is Scott #394 [type I; flat plate; violet; single-line watermark] imperf. type I [both flat plate] double-line watermark - Your stamp is Scott #345 [deep violet] unwatermarked - Your stamp is Scott #483 [violet] type II - Your stamp is Scott #484 [flat plate; violet; unwatermarked] type IV - Your stamp is Scott #535 [offset; violet; unwatermarked]